An evaluation of organic chemistry as a prerequisite for admission to Florida medical schools

One year of organic chemistry is a prerequisite for admission to virtually all U.S. medical schools. To insure adequate preparation of premedical students, Abraham Flexner recommended prerequisites for admission to medical school 85 years ago. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) establishes standards for U.S. medical schools, although the faculty of each medical school establishes specific prerequisites for admission to its respective institution. Present LCME standards suggest each medical school restrict its premedical course requirements to subjects it considers essential to provide the student with the academic preparation necessary for satisfactory completion of medical school. The American Association of Medical Colleges' panel on General Professional Education of the Physician (GPEP) report recommended that medical schools require only essential courses for admission. This study tested the hypothesis that organic chemistry is essential for success in medical school. The faculty of each U.S. medical school is solely responsible for establishing prerequisites for admission, so a jury of medical school professors was empaneled to evaluate organic chemistry as a prerequisite for admission. The jury was comprised of 10 medical school biochemistry faculty members who were individually nominated by the medical school deans and selected by the researcher to evaluate the "essentialness" of organic chemistry for success in three Florida medical schools. Examination of 150 topics using 10 organic chemistry textbooks revealed significant standardization of course content in prerequisite organic chemistry. Indirect analysis of jury data supported the hypothesis. The jury deemed prior knowledge of organic chemistry essential. The results of the study suggested organic chemistry is a valid prerequisite for admission to medical school. Most significantly, the jury unanimously considered 31% of the topics essential for success in medical school. An average of 107 of 150 topics were judged essential. The results of this study suggest organic chemistry is essential for success in Florida medical schools.